Celtics dominate Cavs, score season-high 128 points
A second-half domination from the Boston Celtics ran the Cleveland Cavaliers out of the building and gave the Celtics their highest single-game point total of the season on Friday night by way of a 128-95 final at TD Garden.
And while the Celtics were certainly led by Kyrie Irving’s 29 points in 27 minutes behind No. 11’s absurd 11-for-15 (and five-for-seven mark from deep) night from the field, this was one of those games that saw every Celtic get involved and make things happen en route to one of the Green’s easier finishes to a night, with a 29-point lead after the third quarter.
Kyrie with the deep 3 #HeatCheck
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) December 1, 2018
@AAANe_MAnews #AAANortheast pic.twitter.com/93z7xVBNYr
“Nobody’s going to play perfect, but I think that our approach was good,” C’s coach Brad Stevens said after the win. “They stayed the course They played together. A lot of guys did a lot of good things and kind of built off of what we’ve talked about.”
It’s not hard to find positives in a night that saw seven different Celtics score in double-digits (and every Celtic scored at least one basket), but the biggest may have come from the play of Gordon Hayward, who looked better than ever (at least in a Celtics uniform), with 14 points in 23 minutes off the bench behind a 6-for-9 night from the floor.
And when it comes to Hayward’s production, there’s not a person happier to see than Irving, who has talked to Hayward one-on-one throughout the week and publicly stated that Hayward has been passing too much this season earlier this week.
“I’m proud of the steps that he’s making,” Irving said. “Coming from a fractured ankle and coming into this season with all of the talent that we have and still trying to be the same player, a lot more sacrifice, a lot more to do, a lot more to understand.
“Just proud of him.”
Not that it really mattered given the lopsided nature of the contest, but Celtics big man Al Horford (rest) and wing Jaylen Brown (back) both sat this one for the Celtics.
The Celtics are back at it Saturday night with a visit to Minnesota for a meeting with the T’Wolves.
